


The Winter Soldier: Hydra's Headcase

by JaeChaos88



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Betrayal, Brainwashing, Cyborgs, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Sex, Super Soldiers, Vibranium (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:34:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25035541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaeChaos88/pseuds/JaeChaos88
Summary: Bucky can't seem to get hydra out of his head and Tony has had enough. Steve has T'Challa take him to Wakanda, if anyone can help Bucky, it's them. With some of the best doctors and most advanced technology in the world he is sure he will be in good hands. But his doctor was too good, leaving Bucky love struck and caught in a battle for her and his sanity...
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/ Nia(OC), Nakia (Black Panther)/T'Challa
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

James “Bucky” Barnes awoke strapped to a table in the middle of a medical laboratory. His vision was hazy as he scanned the room for any threats. The only other person in the room was a woman in a lab coat sitting at a computer with her back turned to him. He pretended to still be sedated when she turned around and walked over to the table he was restrained on. She pulled the neurological nodes off his head and placed them on the table before pulling back a bandage on his shoulder to check how his metal arm was healing.

She started humming as she walked over to a tall cabinet on the other side of the room and started looking through the contents. He quietly broke free of his restraints and hopped down from the table.

The woman closed the cabinet and turn to find the Winter Soldier behind her. His stare was piercing as he grabbed her by the neck with his metal arm and lifted her off her feet.

“Who are you?” He demanded. “Where am I?”

The woman grabbing hold of his arm tried speaking. “I…I’m Doctor Nia…Kraus…”

“Where am I?”

“If…you would…let me…breathe…”

He released her, putting her back down on her feet. The doctor rubbed her throat and took a few deep breathes. “I’m Dr. Nia Kraus. You’re in Wakanda, and I am TRYING to help you.”

“By messing with my head some more?”

Nia sighed. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Being on a plane with Steve and some guy in a catsuit.”

“The man in the catsuit’s name is T’Challa. He is the Black Panther and he agreed to take you in for Steve to try an undo the damage done to you by Hydra.”

Bucky looks at her trying to size her up and see if she’s lying.

“If you want, I can see about setting up a com-link for you and Steve. He can explain everything.”

She walked back over to her computer and pulled up a link to Steve.

“Hey Nia, what’s up?” Asked Steve.

“I have someone here who would like to speak with you.” She stepped off to the side and he saw Bucky.

“Hey Buck, how’s it going?”

Bucky looked over at Nia slightly embarrassed by his freak out. “I’m alright…I guess.”

“I’ll leave you two for a moment.” She said stepping out of the lab.

Bucky sighed and slicked back his hair. “What happened?”

“A lot Buck. T’Challa agreed to take you to Wakanda to try and reverse the brainwashing done on you by Hydra. Tony didn’t feel comfortable keeping you here at the tower with the rest of us after your blackout.”

“What blackout?”

“A grenade went off and you got rocked. A few minutes later you attacked Tony and collapsed.”

“It’s all coming back in pieces. Nothing makes sense.”

“That’s normal. Nia said it would take some time to figure out what was going on, but I knew you’d pull through.”

“So, how long have I been here? How long do I have to stay?” He asked.

“Until I can convince Tony you’re not a threat.”

“So indefinitely…” Bucky and Tony had a long history of going after each other, he was sure this was the final straw before Tony tried to put him down for good.

“I wouldn’t start picking out real estate just yet, Buck. Just give it some time.”

Nia walked in a few minutes later with a tray of food. And placed it on a small cart near the exam table he had been resting on.

“I think I should let you go. I’ll chat with you later.” Said Steve. Bucky ended the feed and took a look at his arm.

“I scraped your old one. How does it feel?”

“Good. Lighter.” He stretches his arm and flexes his fingers.”

Nia lifted the cover on the food tray. “Cheese burger, French fries, and a coke. I’d like you to eat something.”

“I’m not very hungry.”

“Doctors orders.”

He sighed, walked over to the tray, and picked up a French fry while she sat down at the computer again.

“I’ll take you on a tour of the facility when you’re done.”

“What’s all that?” He watched her browse through her reports.

“Results of some tests I ran on you. I’ll be honest I’ve never been much for jigsaw puzzles, I’m not sure how much of your memory I can get back and how much of Hydra I can erase.”

Nia took him on a tour of the facility after he ate. He was in awe at the facilities set up. Okoye was on her way to find T’Challa when she bumped into Nia on her tour.

“I see our guest is alive and well.” Okoye looked him over disapprovingly. “And you managed to replace his arm.”

“Did you doubt me?” Asked Nia.

“I always hope for your success, some times a little more than others.”

“Like in the arena?” Nia was not only a great doctor, but a very skilled fighter as well, giving Okoye a challenge during their last sparing match. Okoye smiled before dismissing herself.

T’Challa was with his mother, Ramonda, outside the facility grounds taking a walk.

“He is awake.” Okoye informed them. “Nia, is showing him around.”

“Very good. I will check in with them later.” T’Challa had a lot on his mind. He had been given intel by Tony that a small group of Hydra personnel had been spotted in Africa. Although, they managed to destroy and imprison most of their high ranking officials, the terrorist group was known for always finding a way back.

“You have been so busy lately.” Mentions Ramonda to T’Challa.

“There is a lot going in in the world.”

“There is always a lot going on it the world. Are you and Nakia fighting again?”

He nodded, knowing his mom was asking a question she already knew the answer to.

“The two of you have known each other for years. How could you forget her birthday?”

“I didn’t forget, I just got my days mixed up.” He rolled his eyes. T’Challa had made plans to make Nakia dinner and thought it was Tuesday instead of Wednesday which was her birthday. By the time he realized it he was too late. “I plan on making it up to her tonight.”

“You okay?” Asked Nia.

“Yea…it’s just a little awkward.” Bucky couldn’t help but feel out of place with people staring at him.

“I know how you feel. Before you got here, I think I was the lightest person in Wakanda.” She laughed.

Bucky managed to pull off a smile. “Kraus is German…”

“This is true. I am not from Wakanda, my mother was. My father was German.”

“It’s still kind of awkward to me seeing interracial couples. I grew up during a time when something like that would be a death sentence.”

“Your childhood was not much different than mine. My father and mother were not allowed to be seen together or with me during the apartheid. Imagine shopping with your parents and them abandoning you in the market place while police walk by because you all would be imprisoned. It’s funny, our childhoods are more than 50 years apart, yet we’ve seen the same struggles. What does that say about humanity?”

“We’re really slow learners.”

“Good afternoon, Nia. How is your patient?” Asked T’Challa walking into the lab.

“I was just checking his range of motion on his new arm. He’s the kitty cat you remembered from the plane.” Nia giggles and Bucky becomes slightly embarrassed.

“Sorry, my mind is still piecing together a lot of memories.”

T’Challa laughs it off. “Nia is an excellent doctor, you are in good hands.”

“I appreciate you guys helping me.”

“Well, I must be off. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Tomorrow I’d like to talk to you a little about Hydra if you don’t mind, so long as the Doctor says it’s okay?”

“As long as he doesn’t get too stressed out.” T’Challa nods and starts to head out. “On your way to make up for yesterday?” Nia shot him a look.

“Nakia told you too, eh?”

Bucky was set up with an isolation room for the night. It wasn’t ideal, it had a bed, a phone, a television, and private bathroom. He walked in and sat on the bed.

“I’m sorry to have to lock you in here.”

“Its okay. Not the first time I’ve been caged like an animal.”

“I’ll be back in the morning to check on you. If you need anything, you can dial zero and one of the nurses can assist you, if you have any concerns for me, my cell phone number is written on the directory beside the phone.

“I think I can make it one night.”

Nia smiled before stepping out of the room and punching in a lock code. The door seal sounded like a bank vault as the gears locked into place. He ran his hand over his arm admiring the metal work before kicking his feet up and laying down.

The next morning Nia opened the door to find him sitting on the bed in a towel.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry.” She turned away.

“Aren’t you a doctor? Why are you so embarrassed?” He grinned and she continued into the room. “I guess I slept on my arm wrong, I was bleeding a bit last night and I decided to take a shower when I got up. I just didn’t think about a change of clothes after I got out.”

“I’ll see about getting you some more. Let’s take a look at that arm.”

Nia had seen plenty of shirtless men as well as completely nude ones during her time as a doctor, but Bucky’s appearance caught her off guard and made her blush.

“How did you sleep?”

“It was a little rough at first. I did start remembering a few things that I hadn’t in years. Like graduating basic and having a night out on the town with Steve and a few of our buddies.”

“Anything Hydra related?”

“I still had flashbacks of the experiments. But they weren’t as intense as they usually are.”

“Well, I’d take those both as pluses. I would like to go through one more time in a couple days and see if I can get some more memories out.”

“Yea…that’d be nice…” Bucky was relieved by the amount of work she had already done. It had been a long time since he’d been able to sleep without waking in the night screaming. He noticed when Nia turned, she had a couple of small bruises on her neck. It made him feel like shit.

“Hey Doc…I’m really sorry.” He ran his fingers down the side of his neck.

“You were scared.”

“That doesn’t make it right. You’re a woman, I shouldn’t have come at you that way.”

Nia raised her eyebrow. “Do you think my being a woman makes me less of a threat?”

“No, I’ve worked with some pretty tough women. You just aren’t like them.”

“How so?” She sat back in her chair and waited for him to explain.

“I’m just making myself sound like an ass, aren’t I?”

Nia chuckled and logged into her computer to get started. T’Challa came by and the two men took a walk to grab something to eat before discussing Hydra. Nia took the time to go to the training gym and do some more sparring.

“I am worried, Mr. Barnes that Hydra is regrouping in Africa. Do you know anything about their operations here?”

Bucky tried to think and shook his head. “I wish you would have asked me this before the doctor got into my head. I honestly don’t remember anything about Africa ever coming up. No missions, no headquarters, nothing. I thought we destroyed their command?”

“We did. I just want to make sure they never come back.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky starts to settle in Wakanda, as Nia helps him with his memory.

T’Challa and Bucky pass by the sparing gym on their way through the facility and see Nia sparing with Nakia. They stop and watch the two girls fight with staffs.

“You are getting much better.” Admitted Nakia.

“Okoye has been good practice.” She laughs. “I finally caught her with her guard down.”

“She can fight?” Asks Bucky.

“Many of the women in Wakanda are warriors, Mr. Barnes. They are both beautiful and deadly.”

He watches as the doctor spars with Nakia and knocks her off her feet. T’Challa claps and Nakia rolls her eyes.

“You may have made up for forgetting my birthday last night, but you are still not in good standings.” Nakia said with a look of ridicule. T’Challa put his hands in his pockets.

“Mind if I give it a go?” Asked Bucky. His body was aching for some exercise. Nakia handed him her staff and looked over at Nia.

“Don’t hurt him.” She smirked.

“He’s my patient, that would just mean more work for me.” She watched as he approached her, twirling the staff in his hands getting a feel for it.

“You don’t have to go easy.” He smiled.

“No one ever learned anything by taking the easy route, Mr. Barnes.”

The two start fighting and Bucky takes down Nia, holding the staff to her chest. T’Challa and Nakia watch as he helps her up and they prepare to fight again. This time Bucky strikes high while Nia goes low, tripping him up with her staff and winning the round.

“You got lucky that time.” He laughed and Nia smiled. She wasn’t going easy on him but she didn’t want to over work him either.

The final round was a little more challenging. Bucky managed to disarm Nia who continued to put up a fight. She grabbed ahold of his staff, using it for leverage as she flipped herself onto his shoulders, knocking him down and delivering the final blow, stopping her fist about an inch from his face. Bucky looked up from between her legs as she smiled down at him.

“Learn anything?” Nia’s skin glistened with droplets of sweat and her hair had become lose with several curls flowing freely from her bun across her big brown eyes. Nakia noticed the way James was staring at Nia and nudged T’Challa. Nia got off his chest and helped him to his feet.

“Just that I was lucky to catch you off guard the other day.”

Nia had managed to free up a lot more memories than she had hoped for Bucky. And although he felt out of place in the beginning, the people of Wakanda made him feel very welcomed. He still missed the outside world though, he wanted to be on the front lines with Steve.

T'Challa saw Bucky walk into Nia’s lab, but he had just seen her in the hall a few minutes earlier on her way to see his sister Shuri. He peaked around the corner and watched him pace for a second before stopping at the window. Nia’s office had a great view of the courtyard, where she had found Shuri and was standing around laughing with her.

“She IS single, you know.”

Bucky turned abruptly to see T’Challa in the doorway with his arms crossed.

“I was…I was just coming in for a check up.”

“During her lunch hour?” T’Challa was one step ahead of him. He walked over to the window and saw the two women parting ways. “Why don’t you just ask her out?”

“I don’t take rejection well.”

T’Challa let out a hearty laugh and noticed Chike, the oldest son of one of the River Tribe elders was walking into the building. “You are not the only one with eyes on her.”

He left to go meet with Chike. Bucky was starting to second guess asking her out, but his feet got cold too late. Just as he decided to leave Nia came walking in and bumped into him.

“James, is everything okay?”

“Yea…Everything is fine.” He smiled nervously.

“Did you need something?”

“Nope.”

“So, why are you standing in the doorway of my office?”

He hits himself in the head. “Oh yea, I did want to ask you something.”

She waited curiously for an answer. “I think I should do a neuro scan on you while you’re here…”

“I was wondering if maybe you wanted to workout later?”

“You mean have me lay you out on the mat like last time?” She smirked.

“Not quite.” He laughed.

“I’ll be free after 4.” She smiled.

Bucky was already in the gym working out when Nia arrived. She set down her bag and began stretching. It made sense for her to be limber as a fighter, but she was very flexible. She touched her toes, did the splits, and bent her back during her warm up. Bucky’s thoughts quickly turned dirty.

“Are you ready?” Nia walked over to the weapons rack and grabbed two staffs, tossing one to him as he approached her. Three rounds in and Bucky caught Nia in a choke hold.

“Two to one.” He whispered.

“Don’t be so sure.” She kicked her leg straight up and almost hit him in the face. He released her and she swiped at his legs. Bucky jumped up and caught her once again pinning her arm behind her back this time while seated on the ground.

“How about we up the stakes, Doc?”

“To…?”

“If I win, you let me take you to dinner.”

“Deal.”

She put up a good fight the next few rounds and he was starting to wonder if she was desperately trying to avoid going on the date. Chike walked in with his bodyguards and laughed at the sight of Bucky getting his ass kicked. Nia knew why he was there, and Bucky could tell Chike’s presence annoyed her. They got up for one last round and he wasn’t sure if he was happy or disappointed in his win.

“Nia, you’re better than that.” Said Chike.

“Chike. What brings you here?”

“You know I cannot come to visit without seeing the most beautiful doctor in Wakanda.” He flirted.

“You’re too kind.”

“I take it you’re done seeing patients for the day?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean you’re free for dinner this evening?”

“Actually, I’m going out with James tonight.”

“ _Nomfana omhlophe?_ (With the white boy?)” He chuckled in Wakandan. Nia stared at him unimpressed. “Another time then.”

Chike left with his guards and Nia walked over to the weapons rack to replace her staff. She walked back over to her bag and saw Bucky still standing on the mat.

“Seven?” She asked.

“You got it, Doc.”

“You’re not currently my patient. You can call me Nia.”

After her shower Nia looked through her closet for something to wear. It had been a long time since she’d been on a date and was really excited Bucky had asked.

“Does this even fit anymore?” She pulled out a little black dress with sheer sleeves that showed off her shoulders and curves. Nia turned around in the mirror admiring the fit, hoping it wasn’t too much.

“You look good my friend.” Said T’Calla, who had taken Bucky to get fitted for a suit.

“You don’t think it’s too much?” He looked down at the all black suit and tugged on the sleeves.

“It’s perfect. You’re going to have a great time.”

Nia was just fussing over what earrings to wear when Bucky knocked.

“One second!” She called, shuffling in her heals to the door. She ran her tongue over her teeth one last time to make sure there was no lipstick and opened the door.

“Hey.” She said nonchalantly as her heart beat in her chest. It got louder once she saw him in his all black suit with his long hair pulled back into a pony tail.

“Wow. You look, amazing.”

“You’re a looker yourself.”

“You ready?” Bucky held out his arm to her. Nia grabbed her handbag and the two headed out to dinner.

T'Challa had recommended a small upscale restaurant downtown from Nia’s apartment building and had called ahead to reserve them the best seats. The two were seated, ordered their food, and started chatting.

“I want you to be honest with me. You let me win that final round, didn’t you?”

“Why would I have done that?” She took a sip of her water.

“Because the guy in the dark blue suit has a thing for you, too.”

“You have a thing for me?” She smiled as if the information was new to her. “No. Mr. Barnes, I didn’t let you win. But even if I would have won, I still would have accepted your offer.”

Bucky relaxed a little and a cocky grin formed on his lips. “You don’t have to call me Mr. Barnes, I’m not your patient anymore, remember?”

“So what would you prefer I call you, James or Bucky?”

“They booth sound nice when they cross your lips.”

There was no hiding her flushed cheeks at that point. James “Bucky” Barnes had made it clear he was hoping this date would be the first of many more to come. The two stayed and talked long after they had finished eating and left the restaurant after realizing they were the only patrons left.

“This was a much needed night out.” She admitted. Bucky held her hand as he walked her down the hall to her apartment.

“Yea it was.” He kissed her hand, a gentlemanly gesture, as they reached her door.

Nia hesitated for a minute before sliding her key card into the door. “Did you want to come in?”

“For coffee?” He joked.

“Not exactly…” She took a step closer to him and tilted her head up to his. Bucky looked down at her big brown eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He put his hands around her waist, squeezing gently as he pulled her against him. Nia searched for her door handle to let them in as he pushed her against the door and deepened their kiss.

Once inside she pulled off his jacket and he ran his hand up her dress.

“You’re not wearing any underwear…”

“The bedroom is that way.” She flirted while gesturing to a room behind him.

Bucky took her head in his hands as they clumsily made their way to the bedroom kicking off shoes and tearing away clothing in the process. The two fell on the bed and Bucky took a moment to sit back and look over her body. He ran his hands down her soft golden legs, opening them to reveal her lust. Bucky began placing kisses against her thigh until his lips reached her sweet center.

Nia gasped as he flicked his tongue and slid two of his cool metal fingers inside her.

“Too cold?” He chuckled, watching her bite her lip.

She smiled. He watched the heavy rise and fall of her breast as he drove her body wild. Bucky’s lips began to make their way back up to hers as he kicked off his slacks and briefs which were becoming tight around his groin.

Nia welcomed his kiss once more as she ran her fingers into his hair and freed his ponytail. She giggled as the hair fell against the sides of his face and he looked around at it in confusion.

“I wanna see…” He pouted and removed his metal fingers.

“See what?” Her flirty smile quickly shifted to surprise when he penetrated her.

“Your reaction.” Bucky pushed deep, sending a warning to her body that he was more than equipped for anything it needed. She held onto his hips as he worked them between hers. He watched as she grabbed the insides of her thighs and spread her legs into a full split.

“Shit.” Bucky felt harder than ever. He pushed into her a few more times before pulling out and taking a step back away from the bed, unsure if he could keep going with her like that.

Nia got up and pushed him onto the bed. She grabbed a hold of his shaft and began stroking it. He took a deep breath and relaxed just before she teased it with her tongue.

“You’re a fuckin’ goddess.” He moaned just before she climbed on top of him. Nia rocked her hips back and fourth as she straddled him. There was one spot in particular, that he noticed she maneuvered him around lightly. When she rolled her hips back around, he thrusted, hitting her G-Spot dead on, making Nia scream seductively. “Uh oh…looks like I found your weak spot.”

“Uh uh.” Nia shook her head innocently.

Bucky rolled her over and held her body tightly against his as he pushed deep inside her over and over. He wanted to feel her insides tighten and her body tremble as he got it to its highest peak.

“Don’t….”

“Don’t what?” He asked.

“Stop.” She moaned.

“You don’t want who to stop?” Her body was starting to throb against his erection.

“You…” Panted Nia.

“Say it…say my name…”

“J…James!”

Her body shivered as she came, just before he did, unloading into Nia while her body squeezed him. He rolled onto the bed beside her and slicked his hair back, the two of them breathing heavily.

“That was so much better than coffee.” She joked while propping herself up on her elbows.

“And much more addictive.” He pulled her head down to his for another kiss.

“Do you have to go home?”

“Not if you don’t want me to.”

Nia laid her head on his chest and the two of them fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Nia decide to go with the flow of their attraction and T'Challa asks Bucky to do him a favor...

Nia jumped in the shower when she woke and threw on a robe once she was done. Bucky was just starting to get dressed when she stepped out and whistled at her. She crossed her arms and stood in the doorway as they stared each other down playfully before a knock came at the front door.

“Just a minute.” She called. Bucky smacked her on the ass as she walked by. “Behave.”

Nia opened the door to find Nakia waiting. “I came by to see how your date went last night.”

“Who told you?”

“T'Challa. Who else? He said he took Bucky to pick out a suit because…” Nakia’s voice trailed off as Bucky came walking out of Nia’s bedroom. Nakia shot her a look before looking back at Bucky who was just as surprised to see her.

“Hi…Nakia…” He approached the two girls and kissed Nia before leaving. “I’ll see you later.”

Nakia looked at Nia wide-eyed as she closed the door behind him. “You slept with him? On the first night!”

“Don’t start.” Nia held up her finger as warning.

“You little ho.” Laughed Nakia.

A few weeks had passed since their first date, Nia and Bucky were in complete puppy love. The two of them were constantly hanging out, either at the gym, or each others places.

Bucky was with T’Challa and Okoye in the war room going over the whereabouts of the small group of displaced Hydra soldiers.

“It doesn’t look like they’re doing much of anything. But they’re presence is still a concern.” Said T'Challa. “How is your head?”

“Fine, why?” Asked Bucky.

“Do you think you could have a closer look?”

“What? You want me to pose as Hydra?”

“You are Hydra.” Said Okoye.

“EX-Hydra.” Bucky clarified.

“You are the only one of us who could get close enough to find out what it is they’re up too.” Admitted T’Challa. He wouldn’t have asked if he didn’t need his help, he knew how Bucky felt about Hydra. It angered him, but it also scared him. He lost so much of his life from them, he wanted the whole organization down to the last agent to burn in hell.

“As long as I can be back in time for dinner with Nia.”

“What?” Okoye was confused and out of the loop.

“You didn’t know, Okoye? As observant as you are, you didn’t know Bucky and Nia had a thing?”

Okoye looked back at Bucky who enjoyed the look of surprised and disgust on Okoye’s face.

“Ugh.” Okoye rolled her eyes.

A small team of War Dogs, the central intelligence agency of Wakanda, was sent with Bucky into the city of Kampala, in Uganda, to track the whereabouts of the displaced Hydra agents. They were spotted going into a small bar where Bucky followed.

The men sat at a table and ordered a couple of pints of whatever beer was available on tap. There were six of them, all unarmed from what he could tell. He took a seat at the bar near where the men were seated and ordered a whiskey.

“This beer tastes like shit.” Said one of the men. He was a big guy, probably 200lbs with a bald head and scar on his cheek. “Nothing beats a German beer.”

“ _Prost_. (Cheers)” Said Bucky, raising his glass.

“ _bist du Deutscher_? (Are you German)” Asked the man.

“My German’s a little rusty my friend.” Bucky turned to the man and propped his leg up on the stool where he was seated. “What brings you fellas down here?”

“None of your business.” Said one if the other men.

Bucky held up his metal arm as if to surrender. It was hidden from view under a black sleeve and glove. “Just making conversation. Damn, I miss the good ol’ days.” He took a sip of his drink and poured some of his whiskey onto the floor and muttered. “Hail Hydra.”

The men looked at each other and then back at Bucky who got up from the stool to leave.

“Hail Hydra.” Said the other men, raising their glasses.

Bucky stopped in his tracks and a sly grin crossed his lips. He was in…

“How many cars hit you?” Nia looked at the bruises on T’Challa’s ribs.

“Only two…and a bus.” He had gone to aid the Avengers in taking down a rogue militia that was trying to blow up a nuclear facility in France. T'Challa fell out of a building, onto the street and was clipped by two cars before becoming lodged under a bus for a quarter mile.

“You just bruised ribs 4, 5, and 6.” Concludes Nia. “I’ll bruise a few more if you don’t stop making Bucky late for dinner all the time. What do you have him doing so late?” She walks over to the sink to wash her hands.

“He’s spying on a group of Hydra agents.”

Nia abruptly turns around. “T'Challa, you can’t have him do something like that! I put all that work into getting Hydra out of his head and you sending him back in with them?”

“Nia, calm down. He is not doing anything more than finding out why this group of six is hiding in Africa.”

“Nia, look what the cat dragged in.” Says Bucky entering the medical lab with Steve. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Says T’Challa.

“Hey, Nia.” Says Steve walking in. “Good to see you.”

Nia pulls off a smile and gives him a hug. “You need to be patched up too?”

“Nah, I let him have all the fun this time.”

“I invited Steve to have dinner with us tonight before he heads back.”

“You going to be late again?” She cuts her eyes at T'Challa.

“I think I can cover our little project without you tonight.”

“It smells great in here and I am starving.” Steve arrived at Nia's place and looked around. “Where's Buck? Don’t tell me he’s late.”

“No, I sent him to the store for a bottle of wine. I wanted to talk to you in private.”

“Something wrong?”

“T’Challa has been sending him into Uganda to spy on some Hydra agents for the last month and I don’t like it.”

“I know…”

“What do you mean you know?”

“T’Challa spoke to me about it before asking Bucky.” He could tell Nia was disappointed. “Buck can handle himself Nia, and believe me, now that he’s got you, he is not going to put himself in a situation where the stakes are too high.” He puts a comforting hand on her shoulder just as Bucky comes walking in.

“I’m gone for five minutes and you’re already trying to steal my girl.” He jokes.

“I don’t think I could even if I tried.”

The two men take a seat at the table while Nia brings over a big pot of pasta, salad, and bread sticks.

“That’s a lot of food.” Notes Steve.

“I’m used to only cooking for one super soldier.”

The Hydra men Bucky has been in contact with weren’t doing much in the way of terrorism. They gathered at the bar every night and have drinks, reminiscing on the “good ol’ days”.

“They’re just a group of ex-soldiers who’ve gone into hiding. Only three of them were combat trained, but they never got their hands dirty, the other three were janitorial staff at the research base in Sokovia.”

“So, they’re not a threat?” Questions T’Challa.

“Hydra is always a threat. But those guys are a bunch of wannabe has-beens. With no leader, they don't know what they hell to do.”

“Uh, Steve, where are you buddy? I been looking all over for you.” Tony spun around in his chair childishly while tapping a pen to his forehead

“I was at dinner with an old friend of mine.”

“Bucky, I’m guessing. I wish I would have caught you sooner, you could have delivered a message for me.”

“I’m not going to have him turn himself in Tony. He’s been making a lot of progress.”

“No, no, we’re past all that. I’m not going to say it but you…”

“Were right?”

“Put points on the board. But in all honesty, I really need you to convince him to come in.”

“Why?”

“Because Helmut Zemo broke out of prison this morning.”

Helmut Zemo was the man responsible for reactivating Bucky’s Hydra training and setting him up as the assassin who killed T’Chaka, who was T’Challa’s father and the previous Black Panther. Bucky was just starting to settle into his life again, but he knew this was one mission Steve knew he had to bring him in on.

“I’ll give him a call. But Tony…no tricks.”

“Cross my heart.” Tony drew an “X” across his arc reactor.

It was the middle of the night in Wakanda when Steve called Bucky.

“Steve? Jesus, it’s three in the morning here.” Bucky slid out of the bed careful not to disturb Nia. He was there most nights, he practically lived there.

“I know, Buck, but I got some news from Tony and you need to know. Helmut Zemo escaped.”

“When?” Bucky walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

“Yesterday morning, sometime after I arrived in Wakanda. Tony wants you to come in.”

“I’m sure he does.”

“No funny games, Buck.”

Bucky ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he had to go. “I’ll be there.”

He sat at the table for a bit thinking about what he was going to tell Nia. She snuck up behind him and placed her hands gently on his shoulder. He was instantly relaxed.

“Everything okay?”

“Yea, everything’s fine. That was Steve, he said Tony wants to have a sit down. He told him I’ve been making progress and he wants to make sure I’m not a risk for any more Hydra blackouts.”

“That’s great. I know you want to get back out and see the world.”

“I don’t need to see the world, just you.” He flirted, looking her over in her silky blue night gown that stopped right at her hips.

“Come back to bed, Casanova.”

Bucky gets up and tosses her over his shoulder. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Nia giggled as he tossed her on the bed and began kissing her aggressively. He motioned himself between her legs as his erection pushed against his boxers. “Someone wants to play.” She said, biting her lip.

“Let him out.” Bucky guided her hand down to free him. Nia gripped him tightly stoking him a few times before he eased himself inside. He worked her over pushing her legs back for deeper access.

“Keep going baby…” She urged. He could feel the tension building inside her and pulled out. “No.” She pouted looking down at his erection still hard while he looked down at her with an evil smile.

“Roll over, arch it back.” He smacked her on her thigh and Nia rolled onto her knees and arched her back. Bucky slid two fingers inside keeping her tension high.

“Stop teasing me.” She sat up and swatted him.

“Uh uh.” He pushed on her spot making her gasp. “Lay down and arch it back.” He ordered again.

Bucky and Nia had tried a variety of positions, Nia’s flexibility was a major turn on for him, but hitting it from the back brought out the beast in him. He eased in and out slowly, deepening his strokes, trying to pace himself.

“James…”

“You want it?” He knew the tension was killing her.

“You know I do.”

He gripped her waist and pulled her against him as he grinded deep, Nia screamed seductively. Bucky ran his hand down the curve of her spine before he repeated the motion, he loved watching her ass jiggle every time he thrust into her.

“Damn it, James!” She screamed as she came. Bucky could feel her juices starting to run.

“I’m right behind you baby.” He came inside her pulling her against him, giving her all she could take before easing her onto her stomach and sliding out. Bucky bit her on the butt before laying on his back beside her.

“You’re a jerk.” She smirked.

“What? I delivered.”

“You always deliver, but you made me wait all that time for it.”

“Payback for the shower.” Bucky had been in the shower a few days before and Nia had joined him, she stroked him until he was hard and then stopped to wash up. He tried to get a few pokes in while she lathered up but she kept pushing him away making him wait. Then she got down on her knees licking and sucking him until he was going to explode and stopped to wash her hair. He knew she was teasing him, and it wasn’t fair, he was at a disadvantage because he had removed his metal arm to be cleaned and hadn’t put it back on.

“I’m calling a truce.” She says resting her head on his chest.

“I’m not making any promises it won’t happen again. You know I love hearing you scream for me.”

“I’ll have to start biting my tongue.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is starting to find his place in Wakanda with Nia while aiding T'Challa in security efforts. But he can never seem to get too comfortable...

T'Challa and Bucky flew out to the Avengers tower the later that afternoon.

“Any idea when you’ll be back?” Asked Nia over video chat.

“Not sure, a couple days maybe.”

“Nia, I have the results back for your patient.” One of the nurses brought in an envelope and placed it on her desk.

“Thanks. I’m going to have to call you back later.”

“Don’t work to hard.”

She blew him a kiss just before ending the connection. She took a deep breath and opened the folder:

_“Patient test positive for hCG levels conclusive with a 5 week pregnancy.”_

Nia put the file down and threw her head back.

“Missing your boo already?” Asks Nakia, walking into the medical lab with Shuri.

“I just spoke to him. He’ll be back in a few days.”

Shuri looked at the file on her desk and Nia quickly tossed it back into the envelope.

“What are you hiding?” Laughed Nakia.

“Nothing. Just patient information.”

Shuri grabbed the file from her hand and ran behind Nakia who blocked Nia from reaching her.

“You are pregnant?” Yelled Shuri.

“Hush!”

“Nia! Is this true?” Nakia grabbed the file from Shuri. “You are a doctor, are you not on birth control?”

“Yes, I am on birth control, but there is always a .1% chance.”

“I guess even his soldiers are ‘super’.” Giggles Shuri. Nia snatches the results back from Nakia and contemplates how she is going to tell Bucky.

Steve and Bucky entered the penthouse of Avengers Tower. Everyone was happy to see Bucky except Tony. He had too much pride to admit he was wrong. He was quick to blame Bucky for the murder of T’Chaka and even after learning he was set up couldn’t admit his judgement was brash, and with Bucky’s last blackout he was ready to throw the super soldier in jail and toss the key.

“Alright reunion is over.”

“Can’t say it’s good to see you again.” Scoffs Bucky.

“Same. Let’s get down to business. Your handler broke free two days ago and we need to find him.”

“Well, I don’t know where he is.”

“He had to have help.” Persisted Tony.

“What? You think it was me?”

“I'm just asking questions.”

“I can vouch that he has been working with me.” Informs T'Challa.

“Tony, you said no funny games.” Reminds Steve.

“What funny games? I’m not playing any funny games, no one here is laughing, Steve.”

“It’s fine, Steve, he’s just trying to get me worked up, see if I’ll snap.”

“Is it working?” Smirked Tony.

“Hey beautiful, how was work?” Bucky pulled up a video chat in one of the labs before it got too late in Wakanda.

“Not too bad. I was just getting ready to lay in this cold, empty, bed.” She teased.

“You can handle a few days without me.”

“What about you?” Nia takes a step back from the camera and opens her robe, revealing a black satin negligee.

“Don’t do that to me, babe, your gonna have me on the next flight back.” Nia smiled and sat back down. “You sure your okay? You seem like you been really tired lately.”

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “I just can’t wait for you to get back.”

“I love you.”

“You waited until you were across the Atlantic to tell me that?”

Bucky laughed. “Yea….well…”

“I love you too. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She blew him a kiss before he hung up.

“She’s got a great smile.” Tony stood in the doorway.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long before you proclaimed your love for the chick with the curls. She got a name?”

“You gonna run it through SHIELD? Find out if she's Hydra?”

“I was just making conversation. Does she know you’re like 100?”

“Her name is Nia. She’s the doctor who got Hydra out of my head.”

“And in the process got herself in there. Look I’m not one to admit when I’m wrong because there’s like a one in a 77 million chance that that is ever the case, but it does happen…”

“Tony.” Bucky tries to stop him from rambling. “It’s fine. I get it. All those things, I did them, whether or not I was brainwashed is besides the point. What matters to me now is getting my life back and making amends.”

“Good. And just so we’re clear, this conversation never happened. I don’t need Cap thinking I’ve gone soft.”

Nia was planning for Bucky to return within a couple days. She knew it was early but she wanted to tell him about the pregnancy. Shuri did an ultrasound for her and she placed the pictures in an envelope.

“Hey, when are you coming back?”

“It’s gonna be a few more days babe, something came up.”

“Oh…”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, no, it’s fine. I just wanted to see you before I leave.”

“Where are you going?”

“A technology seminar, in Naples. I’ll be flying out in the morning with Shuri. It’s a three day stay with a bunch of tech geeks.” She jokes. “I have something for you when you get back.”

“What?”

“You’ll see. But I’m going to finish packing and I’ll call you before I get on the plane.”

“Wait, before you go…how about a sneak peek?”

“And what do I get?” She laughs.

“I’ll give you one too.”

“What good does that do me?”

“Please?” He gives her puppy eyes.

“Bye, Bucky. I love you.”

“Love you too.” He pouts. Nia flashes him a peek of her ass before cutting the feed.

The next morning Nia and Shuri flew out to Naples for the seminar. Nia couldn’t get a hold of Bucky, so she left him a video message before boarding the plane. The team was in one of the labs with Tony, they received a hit on Zemo’s whereabouts.

“He’s in Uganda.” Announces Tony. “Hanging with your Hydra buddies.”

Bucky rolls his eyes. “What’s he doing there?”

“I don’t know, having a few brewski’s, catching up on lost time, buying Vibranium weapons from this guy.” He pulls up a photo of Chike.

“That’s Chike. He is one of the River Tribe.” T’Challa walks over to the screen angered by the images of him handing over two chests of vibranium weapons from Wakanda.

“They were waiting...” Says Bucky.

“What do you think they’re planning?” Asked Natasha.

“We shall go find out.” Said T’Challa.

“I am starving. What time was the dinner?” Asks Shuri.

“It starts at 6:30 but they don’t start serving food until 7.” Nia pulls out her phone to check her messages while they wait for their luggage, but there are no messages from Bucky. She manages to get a hold of him just as the team lands in Wakanda.

“Why haven’t you called me back? Are you back in Wakanda?” She notices the scenery in the background.

“Yea. Babe, you remember a guy named Helmut Zemo?”

“What about him?” She noticed the look of distress on Bucky’s face.

“He escaped prison a few days ago. Tony and the team tracked him down in Uganda buying weapons from Chike.”

Nakia and Shuri were in the limo with her on their way to their hotel, the two shot silent glances of disbelief at each other.

“So, what now?” Nia’s voice cracked as she tried to keep her calm.

“Now we find out where he’s going and stop him from doing whatever he has planned.” Nia got silent and Bucky could tell she was worried. “Hey, look at me. Everything is going to be fine, I promise.”

“I’m just worried…”

“Don’t be. You enjoy your geek fest. This will keep me busy until you get home.”

Nia managed to smile and they said their “I love you” and ended the call.

“I can’t believe Chike!” Said Shuri. “He will have to answer to the entire counsel for this!”

“Are you okay?” Nakia took Nia’s hand in hers.

“That man is responsible for so much in Bucky’s life. I’m worried about what will happen when he finds him.”

Okoye was with a small group Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s all-female warrior forces at the River Tribes headquarters. Waiting for T’Challa and the team to arrive and speak to Chike.

“This is absurd that you would accuse my son of such atrocities!”

“I accuse him of nothing. I know for a fact he sold vibranium weapons to a group of Hydra agents in Uganda!” T’Challa took the photos out of his pocket and tossed them at the feet of the river tribe elder.

The older man picked up the images and then looked to his son before rising to his feet and striking him across the face. “You have dishonored us!”

“Where was Zemo taking these weapons?” Asked Bucky.

“I don’t answer to you…Colonizer.” Hissed Chike.

Okoye struck him down with her staff.

“Only she’s allowed to call me that.” Smirked Bucky.

“We will only ask you one more time.” Informed T’Challa.

“I am so full.” Shuri tossed her napkin down onto her plate and sat back in her chair.

“I could barely eat that chocolate cake for dessert and all I’ve wanted the last two days is chocolate.” Says Nia.

“Would you like another refill on your drink, ma’am?” Asked the waiter.

“Yes, please.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re craving white chocolate.” Jokes Shuri.

“You have a point.”

The dinner was just a social event for all who planned on attending the seminar. There were doctors and scientists from all over the world learning about technological advances in their fields of study. Nia mingled with a few other doctors but started to feel nauseous shortly after dinner.

“Do you want me to go back to the hotel with you?” Asked Nakia.

“No, you need to be here with Shuri. I’ll be fine. It’s probably just from hormones.” Nia collected her things and flagged down a taxi. When she arrived, she immediately kicked off her shoes and walked towards the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face and looked in the mirror to find a man standing in the shower behind her. Nia turned as the man lunged at her. She kicked him in his chest and sent him flying back into the tub. He tried for her again and she grabbed the curtain and wrapped it around his face before punching him and running out of the bathroom. There were two more men when she entered the main room of her suite. She threw a lamp at one while trying to fight off the other. The unknown man grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back while holding her neck tightly against his shoulder.

“No! Let me go!” Nia struggled to get free as the man who was hit with the lamp pulls out a syringe and injects her with a sedative.

Nakia and Shuri stop by her room to check on her when they get back. The door wasn’t closed all the way. Shuri looked at Nakia as she entered the room.

“Nia? Are you okay?” Nakia got nervous when there wasn’t an answer. They saw the broken lamp and the torn shower curtain in the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nia is found missing by Nakia and Shuri. T'Challa and the Steve try to keep Bucky from losing his temper...

“Are you sure?” T’Challa got news of Nia’s disappearance immediately. “I am sending another team your way.”

“What’s wrong?” Asked Steve.

T’Challa looked at him and then Bucky.

“What?”

“Nia was taken from her hotel room at the seminar.”

Bucky jumped to his feet. “What do you mean taken?”

“Nakia and Shuri went to check on her but she wasn’t there. There were signs of a struggle.”

Bucky flexed his fingers just before putting his metal arm through a wall. “Aghhh!”

Steve placed his hands on Bucky’s shoulder. “We’re gonna get her back, Buck.”

“I am going to have another chat with Chike.” Informed T’Challa.

“I’ll join you. I can be very persuasive.” Insists Natasha.

“You should probably get him somewhere that’s not here, before he decides to kill our only lead.” Says Tony.

Steve takes Bucky home to his apartment. There’s an envelope waiting for him on his kitchen counter when he gets there.

“What’s that?” Asks Steve.

“Nia said she had something for me when I got back.” He opened the envelope and removed the pictures. Steve saw Bucky’s face go from anger, to happiness, to heartbreak, just before breaking down into tears.

“What? What is it?” Bucky wouldn’t answer him, he couldn’t answer him, he was too overwhelmed with emotions as he handed the photos to Steve.

“She’s fucking pregnant, Steve. She’s carrying my fucking child!”

Steve put his hands on the counter and looked down at the images. Bucky was a mess and he wasn’t sure he would be able to control the beast inside him when the time came.

Nia woke up strapped to a chair with a bright light shining in her face.

“Finally, you are awake.” Said the voice of a man. Nia’s vision was blurred from the sedative.

“Where am I?”

“That’s not important. What’s important is that you’re exactly where you need to be.” A man appeared from behind the light.

“You’re Helmut Zemo.”

“So, you know who I am…”

“A soon to be dead man.” She hissed.

He smiled indifferently. “My time will come, but until then I have work to do. I need something from you, from inside your mind, and I intend to get it out by any means necessary. I need to know the process you used to reverse the Winter Soldier’s programming.”

“Why would I tell you that?”

“Doctor, you don’t have to tell me anything. But it would be a lot more pleasant if you did.” He nodded to two men who stood on either side of her. They placed a metal helmet on her head just before Zemo flipped a switched.

The pain was intense. Nia’s brain felt like a chunk of metal being pulled out of her skull with a magnet. She screamed wanting it to stop, but she refused to tell him anything.

“You’re a tough egg to crack.” Natasha took a step away from Chike.

“Maybe because you’re doing it wrong.” Bucky walked over to Chike who was tied down to a chair being interrogated by Natasha and T’Challa.

T’Challa looked at Steve who nodded. The three of them exited the room, leaving only Bucky and Chike.

“You sure about this?” Asked Natasha.

“Nia is pregnant.” The two of them looked at Steve. “He’ll get what we need from Chike.”

“But what’s going to be left of him after?” Natasha questioned.

Chike’s smile was stained with blood as the Winter Soldier approached. “You look upset.”

“Nah, upset is an understatement. You see, that man you sold weapons too…me and him go way back.”

“I know.”

“Did you know that he and those men went to Naples and took Nia?”

“She is safe.”

“So, you know where she is?”

“I’m not telling you.” He chuckled.

Bucky grabbed Chike by the balls with his metal hand. His face become red as he tried to fight through the pain. Bucky leaned closer to Chike.

“She’s having my child.” Chike's face was dripping sweat as Bucky tightened his grip even more. “So, don’t you think for a second that I won’t tear you apart piece by piece until you tell me where she is…”

Steve, T'Challa, and Natasha could hear yelling and screaming from inside the room. They look at each other nervously. Steve decided they should step in and makes a move for the door just as Bucky flings it open.

“She’s in Belgrade.”

“That’s in Serbia.” Says Steve.

T'Challa looks in the room and sees Chike sitting in the chair covered in sweat looking at his blood tinged crotch sobbing.

Nia too was having a hard time fighting. She spent an hour in that chair constantly being questioned and having her brain pulled against the sides of her skull. It was unbearable, but she had to stay strong.

“Why do you want to know how I reversed the effects on Bucky?”

“Because I have 20 more men, just like him, programmed as Hydra agents. But Hydra is gone. I need their minds wiped clean and ready for new orders.”

Nia spat in Zemo's face. “No.”

He calmly wiped his cheek before having two of his men remove her. She put up a fight once she was free, but one of the men tased her, dropping her to her knees before dragging her into a brightly lit room and locking her in.

Nia knew what they were trying to do. It was a tactic used to deprive prisoners of war of sleep, making them tired, weak, and susceptible for interrogation. She curled up in the corner of the room and rubbed her stomach.

Zemo met with Tyler, the bald Hydra agent with the scar on his face that Bucky met in the bar. “How many soldiers have been activated?”

“Fifteen. We’re working on the last five now.”

“Good. I’m sure he’s learned of her disappearance by now. Send them to the Bunker.”

The Avengers team arrived in Belgrade at an abandoned Hydra facility.

“Buck…I need your head in the game.” Steve was worried about him losing his temper. They were going in as a team and each person had a part to play. Bucky nodded.

Tony flew around the facility scanning as much as possible.

“I got 15 hostiles inside.” A missile flew by causing him to quickly change course. “Where did you come from?”

“Tony, you good?” Asked Steve.

“Yea, just getting shot at, no biggie.” He sets out a few flares drawing the attention of the missiles away from him and exploding them in the distance.

“Any idea where they’re keeping Nia?”

“Hi you've reached Tony, I’m getting SHOT AT please leave your message after the beep.”

“Let’s go.” Orders Steve. The facility was quiet and the team split up, Steve and Bucky, T’Challa and Natasha.

Natasha spotted the first team of Hydra agents. Her and T’Challa caught two of them quickly taking them down. They made their way down the hall before hearing something behind them.

“Hey, guys…we may have a problem.” Radios Natasha.

“What's that?” Asks Steve.

“Me and T, just took out two agents and now they’re gone.”

“Gone how? Like vanished?”

“Like they were unconscious one second and missing the next.”

Steve and Bucky get to a lab with empty cryo tubes.

“This is starting to look all too familiar.” Bucky walks down one of the rows and can feel the cool air still flowing from inside. “They were used not too long ago.”

“Looks like you weren’t the only soldier to get into the program, Buck.” Steve pulls up the files on the occupants of the tubes. “Hydra had a super soldier program, only it looks like these guys were clones.”

“STEVE!” Yells Bucky pulling his gun. One of the soldiers drops down from the scaffolding and knocks Steve down. Bucky fires a few shots before another soldier comes up behind him choking him with his gun. He pushes him backwards into one of the Cryo tubes, hitting a button on the side panel and releasing a blast of icy cold air into his face. His grip loosens on Bucky who breaks free and closes the tube. The Hydra soldier breaks through the containment's glass and continues after him.

Steve’s shield got knocked out of his hand in the struggle. He finally grabbed it and hit the soldier across the face. His head twisted and the skin on his cheek broke.

“I figured out our problem Nat.” He watches the soldiers head slowly turn back and pop into place, the wound on his face healing.

“What is it?” She radios back.

“They’re not human.”

“What?” She stops and looks at T’Challa just before four super soldiers show up in the hallway.

“They’re robots.”

“They’re cyborgs.” Clarifies Bucky taking another hit.

“Great.” Natasha looks at T’Challa before engaging them.

Bucky breaks the arm of his attacker and a portion of his shoulder is exposed. “They’re vibranium composites!”

“Focus your attacks!” Yells T'Challa. “Vibranium absorbs energy.”

“They’ll explode…” Steve looks over to Bucky who goes for his gun. He shoots the soldier in the head multiple times until the flesh on his face dissolves and his vibranium skull is exposed turning a bright shade of orange. He ducks into one of the Cryo tubes and watches as the cyborgs head explodes.

Steve flips his attacker on a generator that was used to keep the soldiers frozen. The vibrations beat against the cyborgs body as Steve lays on the punches. Once he notices the soldier’s neck becoming orange he runs, leaving his body to combust.

Bucky walks over carrying his gun and looks at Steve. “Would have been faster with a gun.”

“I prefer a more hands on approach.”

There’s a loud boom from outside that shakes the facility.

“Tony, everything alright?” Asks Steve.

“Yep, finally found where those missiles were coming from. On my way to your location.” Tony comes barreling through the roof where Steve and Bucky were. They rendezvous with Natasha and T’Challa before venturing further into the facility in search of Nia.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team interrogates Chike and gets a lead on where Nia has been taken. If it wasn't hard enough for the team to keep Bucky focused, it was going to be even harder now that he's learned she is carrying his child...

The door opened to Nia’s cell. She opened her eyes warily as two soldiers drug her back out and put her on a table instead of in the chair. It was pointless to fight, she needed to conserve her energy and prepare for whatever else they had in store for her.

“Chike neglected to mention how stubborn you were. I promised him I wouldn’t hurt you too much.”

“I don’t care about Chike…”

“I know. Does he know? Bucky?” Zemo placed his hand on her stomach and Nia began to thrash around on the table. “I saw on the camera, you have a habit of holding your tummy like an expectant mother.” He presses a few buttons on what looked like an antique MRI machine. “I’ve never actually brainwashed anyone, but I’m short on time.”

Zemo pushed another button and the platform began entering the machine. Her senses were bombarded with disorienting sounds and strobes of light. She became dizzy and nauseated before fading out of consciousness.

“Anyone else starting to get the feeling we got bad information?” Asked Tony.

“Chike said Zemo ordered the men to take the weapons to Belgrade.” Said Bucky.

“Weapons, yes. He never mentioned anything about Nia being here.” Tony acknowledges.

“The weapons used by those soldiers were definitely from Wakanda.” Verifies T’Challa.

“You said your scanners picked up 15 hostiles, me and Buck took out two.”

“Me and Natasha took out 4 for sure.”

An alarm goes off in the facility, red emergency lights flash down the halls.

“Red lights are never a good thing outside of a district. I say we blow joint before it blows us.” Tony and the team start making their way out. Just before they exit the facility Bucky stops. He hears Nia screaming in the distance.

“Buck, we gotta go.” Insists Steve.

Bucky dismisses the sound as guilt and paranoia, continuing to follow the team out of the building who’s doors were beginning to lock down. He stopped again just before exiting. This time the sound was clearer, even the team heard it. Steve turned to Bucky.

“I have to go back!” He sprinted back into the building just before it locked down.

“No!” Yelled Steve, banging on the door. Tony held up his hand to send out a repulsor blast just before an explosion went off inside sending the team members flying.

“Bucky!” Steve got on his knees and watched the flames pour out of the building. Tony and T’Challa ran to him, pulling him away from the facility. They got back on the ship and tried to regroup.

“You guys heard that, right? The scream? It wasn’t just him.” Steve looked at the team.

“I can’t be sure.” Admitted Natasha.

“There was a lot going on in that place.” Says Tony.

Steve shakes his head. He refused to believe he had lost his best friend, again. It didn’t make sense.

It took hours for the fire to extinguish for them to enter the building in search of Bucky’s body. Steve sat in the jet trying to make sense of it.

“There were 15 soldiers in there, we took out 6. Where were the other 9?”

“I don’t know.” Says Natasha.

“Fifteen…?”

“Maybe they expected him to come alone.”

Steve looked out of the jet at the ruins of the facility. He turned his gaze to the river next to the facility. It’s deep, tranquil waters were a peaceful sight.

“Tony.” Steve’s voice was urgent as he pulled up a map of the facility.

“Yea, Cap?”

“Is there a docking port connected to the facility?”

Tony flies around the perimeter. “Yep.”

“Son of a…”

“Aht, language, Cap.” Interrupts Tony. “What are you thinking?”

Nia was put in a holding cell with a bed in a windowless concrete room. She was so worn down when they brought her in all she could do was close her eyes and sleep. It felt like she drifted off into eternity by the time the doors opened again.

“Nia!” Bucky hobbled over to the bed. Her excitement was barely noticeable through her tired disposition.

“Bucky!” She touched his face, wanting to make sure he wasn't a hallucination before kissing him. He held onto her tightly, placing his hand on her stomach while she placed her hand on his. “I’m six weeks. _Zhelaniye(_ Longing).”

“What?” He looks at her confused.

“I’m six weeks along.”

Bucky shook his head, the blast must have rocked his brain. He got up walked over to the door.

“ _Prorzhavevshi_ (Rusted).” Whispered Nia. Bucky turned around once more.

“Since when do you speak Russian?”

“Since never. I speak Wakandan, English, German, and Spanish.”

“No, just a moment ago, you spoke in Russian.” Bucky looked at her suspiciously, his voice was course.

“Bucky, I don’t speak Russian…”

“I heard you!” He started pacing the room.

Nia got off the bed to comfort him. “Baby, calm down. Just calm down.” She wrapped her hands around him and rested her head on his chest. He took a deep breath to relax.

“ _Semnadtsat_ (Seventeen), _Rassvet_ (Daybreak), _Pech_ (Furnace) _..._ ”

Bucky pushed Nia away. “What are you doing?”

Nia continued on reciting the series of code words used to activate him as the Winter Soldier for Hydra. “Stop!”

She continued berating him in hopes of triggering him. Finally, Bucky couldn’t take it anymore and slapped her. Nia held the side of her face and Bucky's eyes started to water. He would never put his hands on her but she was scaring the shit out of him.

“Why would you say those things to me?” Nia didn’t respond. “What did they do to you?”

“You hit me…”

“Baby, I…” He reached out to her and she twisted his metal arm and kicked his leg so he was down on his knees before pressing a plate on the back of his shoulder and removing his arm.

She finished reciting the words but nothing happened. The door to the room opened and in walked Zemo.

“I guess she succeeded in freeing you of your ties to Hydra.”

“You bastard!” Bucky lunged at him but was detained by a pair of cyborg soldiers. “What do you want?”

“An army of my own. And you’re going to lead it for me. She explained to me how she was able to free your mind and I intend to use that technique to clear out the old programing of the remaining super soldiers.”

“You can’t have an army with 9 soldiers.”

“I know the location of 3 Hydra research bases with abandoned super soldiers all ready to be de-iced. I only needed a handful to get you here.”

“There’s another facility in Bazias, Romania. It looks like it was used for storage after WW2.” Steve looks at the facility layout on a 3D display. “Right there.” He points to a small port next to the facility.

“So, they abduct Bucky, make it look like he died, take him to another facility, and do what? Nia wiped the activation codes from his brain, right?” Asks Natasha.

“Maybe there is another set of codes we don’t know about.”

“Why take Nia?” Asked Tony. “Chike could have found a way to deliver Bucky without involving her.”

“Because Chike has had his eye on Nia for a long time.” Says T’Challa. “If Nia was able to wipe Bucky’s memories of Hydra…”

“Then Nia’s memories of Bucky can be erased too.” Says Natasha.

“Zemo gets Bucky, Chike gets Nia.” T’Challa couldn’t believe he didn’t piece it together sooner.

Bucky was brought into a room with all too familiar machinery. They strapped him down on the same machine they used on Nia. Zemo tossed his arm onto a desk and started pressing buttons.

“What did you do to her?”

“I needed to know how she reversed the effects. She wouldn’t tell me so I tried my hand at doing the brainwashing.” Nia walked in and began helping Zemo with the program. Her head was throbbing and her vision was becoming blurred. She began typing into the system hesitant about what she was programing. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, my nausea is just…I’m fine.” She shrugged it off and looked over at Bucky’s arm. “That's giving me the creeps. It’s like the hand from that movie that creeps around the house.”

“The Addams Family, babe.” Bucky couldn’t help but grin. He had her sit down and watch it for the first time with him. The rest of the evening was spent with him chasing her around the house trying to aggressively kiss her like Gomez, but he understood why she made it a point to reference how much Thing creeped her out.

The machine started up and he was slowly drawn inside. He was nervous and hoped to God she knew what she was doing.

“I don’t feel too well.” She said holding her stomach.

“It’s okay. Take her back to her room. I’ll retrieve her after we’re done with him.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cap can't shake the feeling that they've all been set up. Nia fears for what will happen to Bucky and their unborn child.

The facility didn’t look very big. Tony's scans showed no signs of life. The team entered the building and found it full of old armaments, computers, and other miscellaneous items from Hydra.

“Well, what do we have here…” Tony found a hallow wall with a hidden key pad. “I spy with my little eye…” He pulled off a panel and pressed the button. An elevator opened up. “Going down?”

Tyler was alerted of the elevators descent and had a team prepped and ready. Two soldiers climbed into the shaft, one blew the safety cable and the other unloaded a clip just before cutting the lines.

Tony used his repulsor blast to try and decrease the speed of the falling elevator. It was still a hard landing but they survived. T’Challa and Steve used their shields and bodies to cover Natasha from the bullets, she only managed to be grazed slightly on her shoulder by a ricochet.

The team climbed into the shaft and pried open the door to the nearest floor.

Zemo stepped out of the room momentarily to talk to Tyler about the rescue team. While their backs were turned, Bucky’s arm crept across the table and shut down the system. It was a Shuri’s idea that he be able to control the arm from a reasonable distance in the event it came detached or missing. By the time Tyler and Zemo returned he was outside of the chamber reattaching his arm.

“I’ll take care of him.” Said Tyler. Zemo took off with two soldiers to retrieve Nia and head to a sub that was ready to deploy.

Tyler picked up a chain and wrapped it around his hand while cautiously approaching the Winter Soldier. “You’re obsolete.”

“We’ll see.” Smirked Bucky. Tyler swung the chain viciously as Bucky bobbed and weaved, finally catching the chain in his metal hand and yanking Tyler towards him, punching him in the throat. He stumbled back and coughed a few times before charging him again.

“Let’s go.” Zemo orders Nia to leave.

“What about the Winter Soldier?”

Zemo pointed a gun at her. “Enough games. I apparently did not leave you in the machine long enough for my orders to embed themselves deep in your mind. Move.”

Zemo yanked Nia along with his men towards the sub. When she saw where she was going her footsteps began to lag.

“Move!”

“No.”

She heard gunshots echoing down the hall and turned, hoping the sound was a distraction, Nia tried to make a break for it. Zemo shot a round beside her, halting her in her tracks. One of the soldiers removes a small bundle of paracord from his belts and restrains her hands behind her back. He spins her around and escorts her onto the submarine.

The ballasts on the small sub begin to fill and descend just as Bucky arrives. He throws open the hatch just before it’s submergence and drops down inside. He sneaks around through the missile control room and spots two guards along with Zemo and Nia.

“There’s a problem.” Says the soldier in charge of steering. “The docking entrance has been sealed.”

“Either open it or blow it. This thing is loaded with weapons, use them.”

“Yes sir.”

A noise is heard from the neighboring room and two more guards go to check it out.

Bucky catches them by surprise and takes them down. Zemo was surprised when he walked into the control room. He grabbed Nia and used her as a shield.

“You’ve ruined enough of my life.” Bucky slowly walked towards the two.

“I will shoot her in the head, right now.” Zemo pressed the gun into Nia’s temple.

“This ends one of two ways, both options you’re a dead man.” Bucky looks at Nia. “Option one we all die, option 2, she does that thing I like and I kill you myself.”

Zemo was confused. Nia kicked her leg up into a split and hit him in the face setting off the gun and almost injuring herself in the process. Bucky lunged at Zemo and began tussling onto the ground. He knocked the gun away and punched him repeatedly until his face was covered in blood. He wanted to hit him once more but resisted the urge. Bucky had done too much killing, it was what he was good at, what he was made for, but he didn’t want his anger to get the best of him, otherwise he would be no better than Zemo, whose face was almost unrecognizable. Bucky held him up by his shirt and looked him over one more time before walking over to Nia.

“Thank the Orisha, you’re okay.” Nia embraced him as soon as he untied her.

“Does my arm really give you the creeps?” He smirks.

“Only when you make it chase me around the apartment.” She laughs, staring deeply into his sky blue eyes, relieved.

“I’d chase you around the world.” He kisses her just as the sub comes to an abrupt stop.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know.” Bucky shut off the engines just before the sub hit something.

Nia grabbed onto a column for support. They heard the hatch open. Bucky grabbed Zemo’s gun and shielded Nia behind him, he was relieved to find Steve and T’Challa entering the control room.

“You guys okay?” Asked Steve.

“We’re fine.” Bucky looked over at Zemo’s body. He was barely breathing.

Steve gave Bucky a nod. He knew how much he wanted to kill Zemo, but he didn’t. Tony had stopped the sub from leaving and forced it back into the docking port. He climbed out of the water and walked over to everyone as they exited.

“Nice work Tinman.” Joked Bucky.

“Laugh all you want, I’m sending you the cleaning bill. I can already smell the river water seeping in.”

When they get back to Wakanda, Nia gets checked out, with all she had gone through, she was pleased to see the baby looked fine. They went in at 8 weeks and heard the heartbeat for the first time.

“Wow.” Bucky slicked his hair back and held Nia’s hand as they listened. “That’s amazing.”

Bucky had moved into Nia’s place. It only made sense, seeing as how she was settled in already and his place was further away from her job. He still helped out with missions although everyone agreed the riskier ones he would have to sit out. He was a soldier, he wanted to be in the fight, but he was also preparing for fatherhood. Out of the two, the latter scared him the most.

Nia was still working, but she cut down on her hours. Her nausea wasn’t too bad anymore now that she had entered her second trimester, but she still found herself tiring much easier. Bucky got home from the gym and saw her in the bedroom laying on the bed rubbing her belly. He hopped in the shower and laid on the bed snuggling up behind her.

“Are you ready for this?” She asked, feeling his hand on her belly.

“Of course not.” He joked. “I don’t know the first thing about babies.”

“We still have to think of names.” Nia stopped moving her hand on her stomach and looked at Bucky. “She kicked.”

Bucky replaced Nia’s hand with his and waited for the next one. “She’s gonna be kicking ass like her mom. I love you so much, the both of you.”

Nia kissed him. “I love you too…and chocolate chip ice cream.”

“You want me to get you chocolate chip ice cream?” He laughed.

“I have a container already in the fridge.” She smiles as he gets up to go grab it.

Nia woke up in the middle of the night holding her stomach. She nudged Bucky. “Babe, can you grab me a glass of water?”

“You okay?” He walked back in and handed her the glass.

“Yea, just some pressure in my side.” She took a few sips and he got back in bed. Nia reached around and grabbed him. “Bucky.”

“What?”

“My water broke.”

“I’ll get you another one.” He got up and realized, she didn’t need another glass. “Now?”

“Right now.”

“She’s not due until next week.”

“Buck, now.”

After Nia was checked into Labor and Delivery he stepped out of the room to call Steve.

“Hey, Buck…” Steve rubbed his eyes and looked at his clock, 8:30am. “Everything okay over there? It’s like what...”

“It’s time Steve. We’re at the hospital.”

“You ready?” Steve was suddenly wide awake and sat up on the side of the bed.

“Hell no.” Bucky chuckled nervously. “This is the scariest mission I’ve ever been tasked for.”

“Yea, but Nia’s got the hardest job. She’s gonna need you by her side coaching her through it.”

“I haven’t been this nervous since Hydra.”

“I’m not going to sugar coat it, Buck. This is probably going to be a lot harder.”

Bucky manages to smiles as he begins to pace. “What…what if I fuck up…big time…”

“Buck, you’re about to be a dad.”

“I’m about to be a dad.”

“A great dad.”

“A great dad.” He repeats and takes in a deep breath. “I guess I better get back in there.”

“Good luck soldier. Keep me posted. I’ll let everyone know once they get up.”

“Thanks.” Bucky walked back inside Nia’s hospital room where she was sitting with her legs crossed rocking on the bed rubbing the sides of her stomach. She was already 7 centimeters dilated and her contractions were getting stronger. “You need anything?”

“Yea, mind taking over and giving me a break?”

“I’ll buy you every jar of chocolate chip ice cream in Wakanda after this.”

“Promise?” Nia giggled and then cringed. “I think it’s time. Go get the doctor!”

The doctor and nurses entered and prepared for delivery. Bucky climbed on the bed behind Nia for support. She laid back against his chest while holding his hands, squeezing as she pushed through her contractions. It only took three good ones for little Kaiko to be delivered. The doctor gave her to Nia while Bucky cut the cord.

“Wow…babe…” He was speechless. Here he was, in a hospital, experiencing the birth of his little girl. Bucky spent most of the day in the hospital stalking the bassinet eyeing Kaiko while she slept.

“Shhhh shhh.” He whispered softly as she began to wake.

“She’s probably ready for another feeding.” Said Nia waking from her short nap. Bucky carefully picked her up and handed her to Nia. You would have thought he was handing off a bomb.

Nia positioned Kaiko beside her breast and began nursing her.

“I am completely useless.” He took a seat on the guest couch and watched how natural motherhood came to Nia.

“You’re not useless, you just have useless nipples.” She joked.

“There she is!” Said Steve video calling Bucky after Kaiko’s feeding. Everyone at the tower was on the line to congratulate them.

“She’s beautiful you guys.” Natasha gushed over the sight of her.

“That’s because she takes after her mom.” Bragged Bucky.

“Cheers to that.” Says Tony. “I guess even at 100 your soldiers are still marching.”

Bucky just shakes his head, the video call doesn’t last too long before Kaiko starts to get fussy. Nia lays her down on the bed and asks Bucky to pass her a diaper. He watches intensely as she cleans and redresses her. Nia looks at him and laughs before giving her to him.

“Babe. Relax. You’re not going to hurt her.”

“I just don’t know if it’s that comfortable for her with my arm. I want her to be comfortable.”

“She is with her daddy…her protector…the most important man who will ever be in her life.”

It took some adjusting but after a couple of months, Kaiko settled into her new surroundings in her new room, and Nia and Bucky were finally getting to take it a little easy. Some nights they were able to get through easily enough, others they were both up every few hours.

Nia was in the kitchen cooking and Bucky was in the bedroom closet going through an old military bag. He had hidden a ring in it a few weeks prior and was trying to figure out the best time to pop the question to Nia. Kaiko had awakened from her nap and Nia had her hands full.

“Bucky!”

“I got her.” He ran into her nursery and picked her up. “Hey Princess…WHOA…what did you do?” Bucky held her up and sniffed her diaper. “Definitely a code brown.”

He laid her on the changing table and started telling her about his dilemma. “I have something really important to ask mommy and I don’t know what to do. I’ve been waiting for the right moment, but nothing seems to feel right.” He picks her up and shows her the ring. “You think mommy would like that? Yea…you’re right…I should just get it over with, huh?”

“Babe! Come quick! It’s everywhere!”

“Damn it.” Nia was just finishing up the food. She turned off the burners and hurried into the nursery. She threw the door open expecting Bucky to be holding Kaiko in the air gagging. Instead, he was down on one knee, holding her in one hand and the ring in the other. “Did you fall?”

Bucky began to laugh. He looked at ring and returned his gaze back to Nia.

“Bucky get up…” Nia froze.

“I never would have imagined it would take a century to meet the woman of my dreams…”

“Bucky get up…” Nia’s eyes began to water.

“Not until I get an answer. Don’t make me wait any longer, Nia.”

“Yes…Yes…” She dropped down to her knees beside him and he placed the ring on her finger. He pulled her into his arms with Kaiko and kissed them both just before breathing a sigh of relief. “Did you honestly think I would say no?”

“You took longer to answer than I was expecting.” He smiled that great smile, that softened his bright blue eyes and made her fall for him in the first place.

Tony felt only he was capable of throwing a decent engagement party, so Nia flew down with Kaiko to the Avengers’ Tower. Bucky had arrived a few days prior or help Steve out on a minor mission. He loved being out in the field, but every moment away from his new family made him miss them more.

“There she is, not you Nia, we’re all happy you’re here but it’s this one we’re all dying to see.” Tony took the car seat from Nia and Steve grabbed her bag. “Come to Uncle Tony.”

“Where’s Bucky?” She asked.

“He just hopped in the shower.”

“Oh…my…God…Where is she?” Natasha gave Nia a welcoming hug before going to see Kaiko. “You know what…I hate to say it but she’s starting to look like Buck. She’s got the blue eyes and definitely his wittle lips, don’t you?” She tickle Kaiko under her chin.

“You think? I still say she looks like mom, but maybe that’s because she has two arms.” Jokes Tony.

Bucky snuck up behind Nia and wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her back for a kiss. “There are my girls.”

“Ah, ah, ah.” Tony shooed him back. “This is Uncle Tony time.” Kaiko started to fuss and Tony reluctantly handed her over. “She’ll come back around.”

“Come on, I’ll show you around.” Bucky took Nia on a tour and Steve put her bags in their room.

“You know I have to admit. I always thought I’d be the one to settle down first.” Steve watched Bucky walk over to the balcony with Nia.

“Still looking for Mrs. Right?” Asked Natasha.

“I don’t think I ever really was. After Peggy died, I think I just gave up on thinking there could ever be someone else.”

“You never know.” She reassured him. “I’d still keep my eyes open.”


End file.
